Feed-gate control



FEED GATE CONTROL Filed Jari. 30, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENLORATTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 z fl... 7 6 m w A 1 1 1 INVENTOR ATTORNEY fgJ Nov. 19, 1929. o. F. APLlN FEED GATE CONTROL Filed Jan. 30, 1928Patented Nov. 19, 1929 OLE F. APLIN, F C'ULBERTSON, MONTANA FEED-GATECONTROL Application filed January 30, 1928. Serial No. 250,542.

This invention relates to improvements in elevators of the kind having,an endless chain of buckets, the object being to provide simple meansfor cutting oil the supply of grain or other material after a certainamount shall have passed into the elevator and thereby prevent chokingot the buckets while running; at full speed.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a device for operatingelevator feed gates which is so constructed as to allow the quickopening and closing of the gate well as a close adjustment thereoi.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device for holding theteed gate in an open position until it is desired to close it and to sohold it without its being absolutely rigid.

Still another object of the invention to provide a friction controlmeans of this character whereby the operating device is renderedsomewhat elastic. the purpose of which is to pernzit the gate to bequickly opened and closed.

T3 In carrying out these objects, the invention is susceptible ofmodification without dcrarting from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages of the claimed invention; there being shown in the drawingsfor illus- I) trative purposes a preferred and practical form. in which;

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the lower portion of atwo-legged grain elcvator with this improved feed gate control- 3 lingdc\icc shown applied,

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the rear leg of the elevator,

Fin. il is a front elevation. snowing a s:li-"'litl ditl'crcnt it'ornlol gate control.

i l a group view in perspective of the control shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig, 5 is a ve tical section thereof, Fig. (i is a view partly inelevation and partly in section of the control,

Fig. 7 is a detail perspec ve view of one of the friction plates forminga part of the feed control; and

Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of a portion of the operating levers.

In the embodiment illustrated, a supervising or operating platform 01"an endless bucket elevator is shown at 1 through which extends the legsor lines 2 and 3 of the elevator and which are designed to extend upwardto the point of discharge, not shown. Operating through these fines andaround a drum in the casing located below the platform 1, and which isnot herein shown, is an cniaess apron l carrying the buckets 5.

Valve gate stems are shown at 6 and 7 and are designed for controllingthe valves wh1eh are movable in the feed chutes, not shown, the valvesoperating to cut off and control the feed supply through the chutes.Connected with these valve stems 6 and 7 by straps 8 and 9 are rods 8and 9, the rod 8* being connected with the stem of the valve whichcontrols the supply of material to the elevator leg 3 while rod 9 isconnected with the stem 7 of the valve which controls the leg 2.

A plate or bracket 10 which constitutes one element of the gate controldevice has a laterally extending apertured flange 11 which is designedto be bolted to one face of the ele vat-or leg or line 3, and whichplate 10, in connection with a disk 12 forms a friction control memberor" the device constituting the invention. a plurality of countersunkbolt receiving opcnin s- 13 which a re designed to receive a head or thebelt which connects said dish The disk 12 is provided with with anoperating lever 15 the countersunk portions of the apertures beingarranged adacent the opposed face of the plate 10 so that the disk maymove freely over said plate without the bolt heads contacting therewith.

square shouldered bolt 14 extends through the opening: in pin c 10,through the disk 12 and one end of the lever 15 as is shown clearly inFigs. 5 and 6 and has arranged thereon between the lever 15 and the diska thrust washer l6 fitted with ball hearings to eliminate friction beingtransmitted to the hand Wheel 20 which is threaded on the outer end ofthe bolt 14. A steel washer 17 is located between the thrust washer anda coiled spring 18 which encircles the bolt 14 said washer forming abearing bctwee n the spring and the thrust washer. A taper-head bolt 19connects the disk 12 with the lever 15, the head of said bolt fitting inthe countersunk portion of the aperture 13 in the disk as is shownclearly in Fig. 5.

A hand grip 21 is attached to and extends laterally from the outer endof the lever 15.

It will thus be obvious that the metal disk 12 operating against theadjacent face of the plate 10 and being held tightly together by meansof the coiled spring 18 will operate to frictionally hold the lever 15in any desired adjusted position, it being of course understood that thetension of the spring 18 may be varied by screwing up or unscrewing thehand wheel 20. The lever 15 is provided with a plurality oflongitudinally spaced apertures 22 to provide for the adjustableconnection with the lever or the rod 8 which connects the lever 15 withthe valve stem 6 and by means of which the valve which controls theinlet of material to the leg 3 may be either opened or closed at thewill of the operator.

Mounted on the side face of the leg 3 is a valve control device similarin every way to that just described which is mounted on the front ofsaid leg for controlling the opening of the valve connected with thestem 6. This valve control is numbered similar to the valve controlshown at the front of the leg except that the exponent a is used on thereference numerals. This location of the two levers 15 and 15 permitsthem to be conveniently operated by an attendant standing adjacent thefront portion of the leg 3. from which point he may observe the buckets5 in the leg 3 through the opening 3' formed in the front wall thereof.

A rod 23 connects the lever 15 with an arm 2- which extends laterallyfrom one end of a rod 25 mounted in suitable bearings on the rear faceot the rear leg 2, as is shown clearly in Fig. 2. Another rocker arm 26is carried by the rod 25 and connects with the rod 9 which is designedfor controlling the gate stem 7 for opening and closing the gate onwhich said stem is mounted.

The shaft 25 has mounted thereon outside the bearings 27, collars 28which are designed to hold the shaft 25 in proper position.

It will thus be seen that when the lever 15 is actuated that the valvestem 7 will be raised or lowered according to the direction in whichsaid lever is swung and that it will be held in adjusted position by thefrictional engagement of the disk 12 'ith the plate 10.

The plate 10 has the aperture 30 therein through which the shoulderedbolt 14 is designed to pass made angular, being here shown square, withthe side walls of which the shoulder of the bolt engages to prevent thebolt from turning during the adjustment of the spring 18 by means of thehandwheel 20.

In Fig. 3 the gate actuating lever 15 is the same as that shown in theother figures except that it is provided with a right-angular extensionarm 29 through which it is connected with the rod 8 carried by the valvestem 6 thus adapting the lever 15 to be used in an upright position andat the same time control a vertically operating gate or valve.

It will thus be seen that owing to the frictional contact of the disk 12with the plate 10 and the compression by means of the coiled springcontrolled by the handwheel. will provide a control which is somewhatelastic and which thus provides for the quick opening and closing of thegate, as well as for the close adjustment thereof.

It is, of course, understood that the device may be used for otherpurposes than for that shown, and that the main purpose of the device,as shown, applied to an elevator, is to hold a feed gate in an openposition until it is desired to close it and to provide means for makingquick and easy tension adjustment to compensate for slides of differentweights of material handled, and without the use of any tools. This isaccon'iplished by using a ball-bearing thrust bearing; a squareshouldered bolt in a square hole which will not turn while making theadjustments and a handwheel.

lVithout further description it is thought that the features andadvantages of the 1nvcntion will be readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, and it will of cours be understood that changes in the form,proportion and minor details of construction may he resorted to, withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention.

I claim A control device for gates, valves and the like comprising twocomplementary menihers. one having means for connection with the objectto be controlled and the otter meat i for connection with a support,ball-hear r thrust bearing located between said memb rs, one of saidmembers having an angular bolt hole therein, a square shouldered )oltadapted to be passed through said members with the shoulder thereoflocated in said opening to prevent turning of the bolt, :1 hand wheelthreaded on said bolt, and a coiled spring located between the handwheel and the outer member whereby the arts are yiehlabl he d inadjusted position. the hand whee l adjustable to vary the tension of thespri without necessitating the use of our tools.

Signed at Culbertson, in the county of Roosevelt and State of Montanathis 24th day of January, 1928.

OLE F. APLIN.

